Purchasing an out-of-state tri-plex that is 117 years old as your first property (even if a lot of work has been redone) is going to necessitate a lot more diligence on your part before you can say it's "good". 

If I am buying up decent properties for a couple thousand each and then renting them out, would that really necessitate using OPM?

I would say it is on life support because after refi the negative cash flow necessitates extra reserves.

They are supposed to be more likely to have repair parts for in the future where the big-name units are obsoleted necessitating system replacement when a part could fix the problem if it was available.

This necessitates expanding slower than most people would like but it helps to prevent your investments from collapsing.

In contrast, mid-term rentals have fewer turnovers, resulting in lower operational costs.Less legal and regulatory complexity: Some cities have strict regulations regarding short-term rentals, which may necessitate permits, taxes, and compliance with specific rules.

That would expose you to the upside there without necessitating you to move/travel there and REALLY get to know the market.

(Join your local REIA, stay active, and be ready to file your own lawsuit should the situation necessitate it.

Lingo from title company necessitated multiple emails.I wouldn't consider the above even hiccoughs.

This necessitates a lawsuit and everything inherent as such.